[Disseminated zygomycosis by Absidia corymbifera in 2 leukemic patients]

The term zygomycosis comprise mycotic infections produced by mucorales and entomophtorales. Mucorales become pathogenic in some conditions, principally diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, trauma or burn.

We describe two cases of leukaemic patients who developed disseminated zygomycosis by Absidia corymbifera during the aplastic phase by antineoplastic chemotherapy.

In both cases, the first symptom was high fever unresponsive to broad spectrum antibiotics neither fluconazole. Initial sites of infection were sinonasal region in one case and bowel in the other one. The diagnosis was confirmed by culture of nasal swab and peritoneal fluid respectively. One patient was early diagnosed and he received prolonged amphotericin B therapy but no surgical debridement. The other one had a postmortem diagnosis at autopsy. None of them survived. Death was directly related to the fungal infection.

Although this infection is infrequent, it must be suspected in high-risk patients because early diagnosis and quick combined therapy appear to improve the prognosis.